


Unexpected

by sylviarachel



Category: You Could Make a Life Series - Taylor Fitzpatrick
Genre: Character Study, M/M, Raf Sanchez - Freeform, Snippets
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-12
Updated: 2020-08-12
Packaged: 2021-03-06 02:48:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 574
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25866211
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sylviarachel/pseuds/sylviarachel
Summary: In the very long list of surprising things about Bryce Marcus, his daemon is maybe the most surprising.
Relationships: Bryce Marcus/Jared Matheson
Comments: 5
Kudos: 31





	Unexpected

**Author's Note:**

> At some point over the past year I wrote the words "Jared/Bryce daemon AU" in my YCMAL fic google doc. I've kept trying to make this snippet develop into a plot, and it just ... doesn't want to? But I still kinda like this snippet, so ... ::shoves it at y'all:: ::backs away slowly::

In the very long list of surprising things about Bryce Marcus, his daemon is maybe the most surprising. Like, Jared knows the stereotype that NHL players have big, tough predator daemons—polar bear, grizzly, siberian tiger, timber wolf—is entirely bullshit. Jared knows that lots of very good players have perfectly ordinary dog and cat and bird and reptile daemons. Jared knows that like, just because you can throw a check on the ice, that doesn’t make you like, a fucking wolverine off it.

And like, if you’ve never seen a player’s daemon despite following their team closely? It’s a pretty safe bet they’re not a big, tough predator. Or like, a big  _ anything _ , predator or otherwise. (There was a dude in the QMJHL a few years ago who settled a fucking  _ moose _ . Teams claim they would never base their draft choices on what kind of daemon you have, but let’s just say Jared wasn’t massively shocked when that guy didn’t go first round, or even second round, despite being a first-round-worthy player, because wow, hauling around a moose on roadies has to be a whole fucking thing.) 

So: Jared has been figuring maybe snake or lizard, maybe like one of those small falcon-type birds, a merlin or kestrel or whatever. Something small, but dangerous.

But instead—

~What  _ is _ that?~ Jared asks Freya.

~Sugar glider,~ Freya says. ~I think?~

The daemon peering at them from her perch on Marcus’s shoulder has huge eyes and a small pink nose and is the cutest, fluffiest, most ridiculous little creature Jared has possibly ever seen in his  _ life _ , and that is … extremely not what he was expecting.

Which makes him wonder what the hell else Marcus has been concealing under his douchebro exterior.

“This is Ginevra,” says Marcus—Bryce. He somehow sounds both shy and defiant? Like he genuinely cares what Jared will think of his cute fluffy tiny daemon, and also will not hesitate to punch Jared if he says anything mean about her.

“Hi, Ginevra,” Jared says to the fluff daemon. For some reason he really, really wants to see if she feels as soft and fluffy as she looks? But he’s not an asshole—recent Marcus-related behaviour aside—so he keeps his hands to himself.

“I’m Freya,” says Freya to Bryce.

Jared looks at her, surprised, because she isn’t any more friendly or outgoing than Jared is himself, and it’s pretty unprecedented for her to just …  _ start talking _ to people. Like even with Raf, she talked to Yamila on her own but waited for Jared to introduce her to Raf before talking to him directly.

Bryce doesn’t look surprised, though. 

“Hi, Freya,” he says, smiling this weird soft smile at her that does weird soft things to Jared’s feelings, and Ginevra echoes him in a tiny little … sugar glider voice, Jared guesses.

Freya twitches her tail, looking smug, then curls it primly around all four paws. 

Bryce’s hand twitches too, like he’s also fighting an urge to reach out and touch her, and holy shit, this is  _ weird _ .

~*~

“... It was maybe a date,” Jared concedes.

Freya makes a choked noise which he knows from experience is her trying not to laugh, but not trying quite hard enough.

Raf’s mouth twitches up at one corner, and Yamila’s ears twitch.

“Yeah, okay, okay,” Jared says.

He can’t remember ever feeling this combination of cranky and euphoric and terrified before? But he thinks he might like it.

**Author's Note:**

> Jared's daemon, Freya, is the most sleek and disdainful domestic short-haired cat you can possibly imagine. Whatever you're doing right now? Freya is judging you. If it makes you feel any better, she's judging Jared even more.
> 
> Raf's daemon, Yamila, is an ocelot.
> 
> OMG, y’all, look at [ the amazing thing tumblr user niphradel made](https://niphradel.tumblr.com/post/639458517632319488/a-very-belated-ycmalholidayexchange-gift-a)!!!!  
> 
> 
> [Here are some pics of sugar gliders!](https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fanimals.sandiegozoo.org%2Fanimals%2Fsugar-glider&psig=AOvVaw3Lio-rM8EhE_fnJnYfvQhs&ust=1597350786516000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CA0QjhxqFwoTCKC2pOHBlusCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAE)  
> 


End file.
